Identifying the root cause of a software bug and fixing it is challenging. One reason for this is that many bugs are not reproducible during bug fixing. We aim to provide an overview of existing works on bug reproduction and localization. We ask four research questions: RQ1: What types of problems have been studied in the area of bug reproduction and localization? RQ2: How are problems studied in previous research? RQ3: What are the main findings and outcomes of previous studies? RQ4: What are the gaps and challenges identified in previous studies? We conducted a systematic mapping study analyzing research literature published between 2011 and 2021. The search for primary studies involved four major computer science digital libraries and resulted in 134 studies for analysis. Regarding RQ1 we found that many studies focus on information retrieval-based approaches to support bug reproduction and localization. Regarding RQ2 we found that bug reports and source code are the typical data sources of bug reproduction and localization. Also, most studies include experiments with historical data but do not investigate ongoing projects. Regarding RQ3 we found that many studies adapt or combine existing approaches for bug reproduction and localization to improve their accuracy or applicability (e.g., combine requirements-related information and bug reports to increase information-retrieval-based techniques). Regarding RQ4 we found that existing solutions for bug reproduction and localization have rarely been integrated into the workflow of developers. Although bug reproduction and localization have been studied in quite some detail, new challenges and gaps emerge due to the evolution of software technologies and practices and the practical needs of software developers. For example, bug reproduction approaches for traditional web applications do not work well with modern “Single Page Web Applications” (SPA) and related technologies, e.g., Angular or React.

Web applications are often built as Single Page Applications (SPA), for example applications offered by Google, Facebook, Twitter or Netflix. Users interact with SPAs through a single HTML page that is dynamically rewritten with new data from the web server (instead of a web browser that loads entire new HTML pages). Just like with any type of software system, debugging is a common activity during the development and maintenance of SPAs. In order to fix bugs observed during runtime, developers often try to reproduce the bug first to better understand it. However, research has shown that reproducing bugs is not always possible. In this paper we (i) develop a technique for Application Monitoring (AM) to collect data to support bug reproduction; and (ii) apply the monitoring technique in a SPA test bed as well as a real-world SPA application to show its feasibility. As part of our research we developed an initial version of the AM technique and implemented it in a prototype. Our evaluation using this prototype showed that it not only improves the efficiency of the bug reproduction process but also reduces information gaps caused by incomplete bug reports submitted by users. Additionally, compared to the information provided by users, data provided by AM is more accurate and detailed and covers a wider range of data. Future work includes deploying the AM framework in more SPAs and investigating how AM can be integrated into software developer workflows.

Poor feedback practices for professional development can stall, or even reverse, the professional growth of software engineering professionals. Yet, when setting up feedback systems, organizations often rely on experience or “anecdotal evidence” due to a lack of empirically-grounded guidelines that support those who give and those who receive feedback. Based on responses from a web-based survey, we describe initial challenges and strategies for professional feedback specifically in software engineering. We then explore how software engineering practice can progress towards more evidence-based feedback systems to ensure the continuous growth of professionals. We also present new directions for future research.

The application of gamification is becoming increasingly popular throughout all areas of education claiming to impact student motivation and learning experience positively. With the aim of providing empirical evidence on the effects gamification has on students, this paper examines how gamification influences the errors students make when learning Structured Query Language (SQL). An empirical study was carried out with 133 students enrolled in a Database course from the Universidad Nacional Autó noma de Mé xico, where participants were split into three groups (gamified, competitive, and non-gamified) to understand if the environments influence the number and types of errors made by students. After analyzing 1,009 answers submitted by the students, it was observed that (i) students participating in the gamified environment tended to make fewer semantic errors; (ii) the competitive environment yielded better results reducing the prevalence of syntax errors; and (iii) the most common errors are concentrated in the SELECT and WHERE clauses. Overall, while the observed differences between non-gamified and gamified environments were minimal, it was concluded that gamification (and competition) positively influences specific aspects of students' learning.

Gamification, defined as the integration of game elements into non-gaming environments, is a promising approach to increase student engagement, motivation, and performance in Computer Science and Software Engineering education. This viewpoint encouraged the creation of QueryCompetition, a web system that allows students to practice SQL in a competitive environment. Our goal was to obtain empirical evidence on how gamifying elements, such as challenges, points, and leaderboards, integrated into QueryCompetition, affect student performance, motivation, and user experience. We carried out a quasi-experimental study with two groups in a Database course. One group used a gamified version of QueryCompetition having access to points and leaderboards, while the other used a non-gamified version with no access to the above mentioned elements. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through tests and a survey. The results showed that there was a statistically significant improvement in student performance in the gamified group as compared to the non-gamified group. In addition, a higher motivation was observed in the gamified group. The empirical evidence presented in this article supports the claim that inclusion of challenges, points, and leaderboards, together with the competitive nature of QueryCompetition, impacts positively on student performance and motivation to practice SQL.

Enterprise Architecture (EA) allows organizations to align their business goals and processes to information technology. This alignment is delineated using modelling languages, one of which is ArchiMate. However, current modelling languages experience a lack of elements to model security - one of the most decisive aspects for organizations nowadays. The objective of this paper is to identify the state of the art surrounding incorporation of security aspects into EA modelling languages, with particular interest in the micromobility context, which inherits critical security concerns from the Internet-of-Things and Cyberphysical systems domains. A systematic mapping study was carried out identifying lack of research concerning the intersection of EA modelling languages, security and micromobility. Only 14 primary papers were found; the vast majority highlight limitations in the existing security modelling, with ArchiMate being the most commonly used, but also the most criticized. The results reinforce a lack of research related to EA, security and micromobility. We can conclude that the current modelling alternatives still present shortcomings related to the standardization, complexity and completeness. An extension of ArchiMate to represent security aspects needs to be investigated, adding new elements to achieve the required representation that allow security requirements to be considered.

Technical debt is a metaphor that measures the additional effort needed to continue to add more features in a software due to its inherent decrease in code quality. Most software systems suffer from technical debt at some point so that dedicated tools and metrics have been developed to monitor such debt. Alongside tools, appropriate engineering practices must be put in place by the development team to keep that debt at an acceptable level. In this empirical study, we observed and surveyed Scrum development teams composed of experienced students in order to understand their quality-related processes on a year-long academic project. We found that (1) students do use static analysis tools of many forms, but their actual usage is limited due to time pressure; (2) retrospective and non-constraining feedback on code quality has little to no effect, even when given regularly during the course of the project; and (3) junior developers value composite quality indicators (e.g., maintainability, reliability in SonarQube), even if they do not fully understand their meaning. From our findings, we propose a series of recommendations, both technical and methodological, on how to train junior developers to understand and manage technical debt.

Skills demanded by the IT industry from graduates should be aligned with the curricula of Computer Science undergraduate programs.It is well-known that theoretical knowledge undergraduate students acquire during their studies needs to be complemented with practical experience; therefore, participating in university supported real life projects is a viable option for the students to get prepared for the industry.This paper reports findings from a survey applied to students who had been involved in an industry-based program meant to fulfill their graduation requirements, including the opportunity to develop a capstone project.We gathered their perceptions regarding what they learned during their studies, what they acquired in the industrybased program and what they consider useful for their current jobs.The results show that most topics are aligned between the Bachelor's degree program and the industry needs, but there is a strong separation in the cognitive levels students achieve at each stage.The paper provides insight into the needs of Computer Science students and contributes to finding ways of increasing undergraduate student satisfaction with skills acquired at university and their application in real contexts.

Software startups develop innovative products under extreme conditions of uncertainty. At the same time they represent a fast-growing sector in the economy and scale up research and technological advancement. This paper describes findings after observing a startup during its first 31 months of life. The data was collected through observations, unstructured interviews as well as from technical and managerial documentation of the startup. The findings are based on a deductive analysis and summarized in 24 contextualized patterns that concern communication, interaction with customer, teamwork, and management. Furthermore, 13 lessons learned are presented with the aim of sharing experience with other startups. This industry report contributes to understanding the applicability and usefulness of startups' patterns, providing valuable knowledge for the startup software engineering community.

Providing stimulating and real-life experiences is a key component in teaching software project management in Computer Science or Software Engineering programs.The diversity of topics that need to be addressed and restrictions that should be considered in university courses make a challenging task of it.This paper presents a serious game, called "White Crow PM" whose objective is to make students aware of the risks they might face during software development projects.The paper describes the game design steps and provides results of its validation in Computer Science programs in two Mexican universities.The collected data showed that the participants had fun playing the game and its content is relevant for software project management courses.Although the game needs to be validated in other settings with more participants, we conclude that it fulfills the goal of motivating discussion and increasing awareness of project management concerns among students.

This paper presents a rearrangement of the Zachman framework carried out in order to facilitate the representation of an enterprise architecture (EA).The approach proposes a diagram-based alternative to model EA using two wellknown Object Management Group standards: UML and BPMN.The proposal is directed to organizations in charge of developing and maintaining software systems under the premise that the people who develop software are highly familiarized with both standards.The proposal reduces 30 elements required by Zachman to 17, which are 7 diagrams and 10 documents, providing organizations with a viable alternative to model their structure, processes and environment in a business-oriented vision.

Managing a software development project is a challenging task; time and effort is required to monitor the project's health and progress.In this context, organizations look for proposals that would assist them in this task.Recently a new and light alternative was introduced: ALPHAs, which are central elements of ESSENCE -Kernel and Language for Software Engineering Methods OMG standard.This paper presents the experience of a Mexican organization that uses ALPHAs to enhance its processes.The paper summarizes the actual use of ALPHAs in the organization, their advantages and disadvantages, and outlines some advice for organizations wishing to adopt ALPHAs.We conclude that ALPHAs are useful for monitoring and controlling software endeavors.Moreover, their harmonization with the organization's current process was a beneficial factor in renewing the CMMI-DEV and CMMI-SVC level 5 appraisals.

Studies have demonstrated that an important factor to increase the success rate of software projects is the involvement of key stakeholders at the right time, in order to define business objectives, scope of the project and requirements. The Inception phase of projects is in charge to provide these outcomes and is suitable to really involve stakeholders as team members because of the non-technical nature of the activities. However, since the stakeholders' involvement is a time- and money-consuming activity, it is important to maximize its efficiency. With that in mind, ludic aspect inherent to games can be used as a strategy to optimize the Inception phase. This paper presents ActiveAction, a game-based workshop used as an alternative for the software project's Inception phase in order to increase its effectiveness and improve the stakeholders' involvement in the project. ActiveAction combines classical and game-based techniques which permit a deep involvement of stakeholders and a collaborative identification of objectives, constraints and risks during an intensive workshop oriented to project conceptualization. ActiveAction workshop resulted in a successful game-based strategy that has improved the Inception phase of 19 projects with different customers. After-workshop surveys, projects outcomes and customer satisfaction indicate validity of the method. ActiveAction is a valuable game-based alternative to carry out the Inception phase in a software project. It makes possible to get an important amount of information, directly from key stakeholders in a short period of time increasing the success rate of projects.